Interception No. 8 – at Cleveland
Game Situation: First Quarter | 12:12 on the clock | Broncos 0, Browns 0
Down and Distance: First and 10 | Denver’s 42-yard line
What Happened: Manning tries to hit Emmanuel Sanders on a short route over the middle, but he doesn’t see Karlos Dansby dropping into coverage. Dansby reaches up with one hand, tips the ball into the air and intercepts it. In part, this is a great play by the linebacker. But it’s also a bad read by Manning; he never saw a linebacker dropping into coverage right in the middle of the field. Plus, Sanders was well covered on then play; it would have been a tough completion even if Dansby wasn’t there.
Sanders is blanketed at the 43, which makes him a bad option. Add the LB in front of him in coverage and it’s a really bad choice.
To Watch the Entire Play: Click Here
Cause: Mental Error – Manning should have never thrown the ball. He didn’t read the coverage correctly, as he threw over the middle with a linebacker dropping into zone.
